Fed up buying incorrectly graded records from Discogs...

I've had a record folded in two by Royal Mail a few years back. I drove out to the local depot and asked to see the manager who was very quick to point out that nowhere on the packing did it say 'do not bend!'

I've bought a lot of records on Discogs and most have been graded well. I put this in the feedback too, it's good for others to know that the seller can grade items well.

I did once buy a first press (expensive) LP and it came wrapped in brown paper with no stiffeners!! Who would do that!? (I cannae mind if that was eBay or Discogs however)

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Due to a supportive tweet I was sent a vinyl copy of the latest Kamasi Washington ep....wrapped in brown paper. The cover is trashed but the vinyl is mint and by mint I mean some of the best I have heard this side of ECM pressings!

I find Discogs by far the most reliable source for accurately described records, but check fb/number of transactions/etc of seller.
Prior to purchase sending a simple question to the seller can be very revealing too.

I find Discogs by far the most reliable source for accurately described records, but check fb/number of transactions/etc of seller.
Prior to purchase sending a simple question to the seller can be very revealing too.

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I agree with this. I find the feedback very useful... well worth the couple of minutes spent browsing it.

I have probably bought a few hundred records from Discogs since the beginning of the year but seem to be having more issues of late but probably because I am getting more fussy.

Like any marketplace, there are some very good sellers and some not so great.

I will tend to buy a tester or two from a particular seller and go back for more if I find grading and packaging has been good.

I have been sending more back lately, which is a pain, and most will not offer to refund the cost of shipping, but it seems to be part of the game.

Having said that, I have never had a seller refuse to offer a full refund if say I want to send it back.

On the others side, there are some sellers who offer excellent customer service, one bought a record from another seller to send to me that he couldn't find, a couple have sent replacement copies without sending the problem one back, and others have just offered full credits without sending back.

Having said all that, I have been having to send back a high percentage of new titles to Amazon for various issues (excessive warping, damaged sleeves with creases and seam splits and defective media with scratches) so you can't win either way...

I'm pretty fussy with any records I buy (ask Amazon ) but I have to say that my experience with Discogs has been pretty good. I only buy from sellers with good feedback (especially relating to grading) and seem to have less issues buying secondhand than new, although prices seem to be rising to silly levels on some releases.

Interesting thread; the first about Discogs that I've read. Nobody here, though, has mentioned the sheer hassle and cost of sending records back when their condition has been misrepresented. Presumably the initial postage costs are refunded.

Most (?) records are judged on appearance, but this does not reveal any groove damage or defects; it's only an indication.

A few years back I bought an Ebay record from a big Lincolnshire seller described as NM. There was such a coating of dust on the vinyl that I couldn't appraise it until it had been cleaned on my RCM. Unfortunately someone had dropped a stylus onto the last track ! Never again, as it wasn't cheap. How on Earth can a supposedly reputable record dealer send something out like that?

Interesting thread; the first about Discogs that I've read. Nobody here, though, has mentioned the sheer hassle and cost of sending records back when their condition has been misrepresented. Presumably the initial postage costs are refunded.

Most (?) records are judged on appearance, but this does not reveal any groove damage or defects; it's only an indication.

A few years back I bought an Ebay record from a big Lincolnshire seller described as NM. There was such a coating of dust on the vinyl that I couldn't appraise it until it had been cleaned on my RCM. Unfortunately someone had dropped a stylus onto the last track ! Never again, as it wasn't cheap. How on Earth can a supposedly reputable record dealer send something out like that?

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I think indirectly you have answered your own question, Mr. Reed.
This dealer is relying on you not returning the item.

I have been buying on Discogs for a few years now - regularly although not a lot of records. I have had good experiences in the past but I reckon the grading standard has declined recently. I don't think the seller can accurately grade the vinyl unless they clean off the crap first. So my most recent purchase was supposedly NM, very crackly when first played and quite mucky visually. After a cleaning it's still crackly and I can see the scuff marks now. I would have done better to have bought a VG+ at a cheaper cost. I also recently had to send back two LPs. For one I asked before ordering if the original printed inner sleeve was included, and told that it was; the other was described as looking as if it had never been played. There was no inner sleeve with the first one; the second one was filthy and very noisy - it looked as if it might have been splattered with some drink and then mould had grown. The seller admitted that they had not visually inspected either record. I got a refund but still had to bear the return postage cost.

It's claimed that people are collecting vinyl now and not playing it; my assumption has been that if this is true it would apply to new LPs, but maybe it is true of second-hand records, in which case there's not much come back to the sellers for over grading. And maybe people who don't have past experience of playing LPs take it for granted that there will be surface noise, crackles and clicks, etc, so don't appreciate there's an issue and that NM records should not be plagued with surface noise.